A complete N00bz first try at world-building...

[Wyntonian]

Here's the last post I have so far. As with the previous ones, please point out any glaring inaccuracies . Level 3 Vestiges are as follows.

Bandelaros, the Soul Thief

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Level: 3

Binding DC: 21

Legend: Bandelaros was a criminal wanted the lands over for his life of stealing. As he grew in his prowess and reputation he began pilfering items of greater and greater value until one day he was rumored to have stolen the king’s clothing from his body just as he was to make a popular address. As always Bandelaros left his signature, a single playing card bearing the image of the reaper. Furious, the king issued a death warrant for the clever thief and commanded his royal guard to accompany the city guard in the search and capture of the cause of the king’s embarrassment. After several months the regiment of guards had Bandelaros and brought him to the king for punishment. The king gripped his sword and slew the thief on the spot. They gave the body over to the proper coroners for burial in the private graveyard for enemies of the state. However there was a petition from a wealthy noble family claiming kinship to Bandelaros. They demanded that he get a proper burial. Not wanting to start a feud, the king consented, but watched the affair very closely – in fact he even attended the funeral. However before the ceremony could begin the coroner came and whispered something distressing into the king’s ear. With a look of horror and fury the king went with the coroner to the casket of Bandelaros. Standing open the only thing that lay in the wooden case was a single playing card bearing the image of the reaper.

Manifestation: Slowly a playing card falls about 10ft in the air above the seal out of nowhere and begins to drift to the ground. As the card reaches eye level with the binder it transforms for an instant into the ghastly image of a dead human head. The image is haunting if only for its abruptness. Then just as suddenly as it came it reverts again to the card and continues to fall to the ground. Once the card hits the ground a man in dust colored shawls and a bandanna addresses the speaker in a friendly and playful tone.

Sign: You smell faintly of freshly tilled earth and always seem to be dirty no matter how often you clean yourself off.

Influence: Bandelaros demands that any chance you have to take something that isn’t yours without any perceived consequences that you take it.

Special Requirement: Bandelaros will not appear for any lawful binder. Additionally as a part of the Binding contract the binder must formulate a plan to conduct some theft without getting caught although the binder is under no special compulsion to act out such a theft.

Granted Abilities: Bandelaros grants binders some of his calculating mind, his skill at eluding capture, and his ability to infiltrate structures without fear of traps.

Trapfinding: You can search for traps with the search skill like a rogue.

Evasion: Anytime a spell or effect would allow a reflex saving throw for half damage you may negate the damage entirely upon a successful save.

Bandelaros’ Intellect: You gain a +4 enhancement bonus to your intelligence score.

Bandelaros’ Skill: You gain a +6 insight bonus to all Open Lock and Sleight of Hand skill checks and you can use these skills untrained.

Escape Bondage: You can wriggle free of movement impairing effects or mundane bonds as the Freedom of Movement spell. The effect lasts for 1 round after which you cannot use this ability again for 5 rounds. You cannot use this ability if you don’t show Bandelaros’ sign.

Infiltrate: You gain the ability to detect secret doors like an elf. Whenever you pass within 10 ft. of a secret door you automatically get an attempt to search for it as if you were actively looking for it and gain a +4 circumstance bonus on the check.

Fujiko, Skydaughter

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Level: 3

Binding DC: 21

Sign: A white feather continually drifts around you, carried on a breeze that affects nothing else.

Legend: The Spirit Folk are known to hail from the uncut bamboo, the rushing rivers, and the mighty seas, but these are not the only places of purity where spirits dwell. The windswept heights have their own inhabitants and even a monk can fall in love. Fujiko felt her connection to the spirits from birth and would play on ledges hundreds of feet over open air without a concern in the world. She grew up leaping from peak to peak, high above the clouds. She trained with the monks of the Phoenix and quickly became a spiritually powerful entity. As the centuries passed however, her mortal blood began to thin as her spirit heritage grew in strength. She became bound to the peak that had been her home and could not leave it. Not even the mountains stand unchanged entirely by time. Earthquakes and erosion eventually wore down the heights that had once pierced the sky until they fell below the tree line. As an immortal spirit, she could not die, but her connection to this world was severed, leaving her no place to be.

Special Requirements: Fujiko’s seal must be drawn in a place where the wind blows. Additionally, she refuses to be bound with Halphax.

Manifestation: Her eyes are slender and glitter like sapphires surrounded by skin the glowing gold of sunlight at dawn. Thick, luxurious black hair hangs down to her ankles, swirling around her in an unfelt breeze. Her very body seems translucent, like a mirage in the mists or a glass sculpture catching the shades of sunset. Her feet do not touch the ground; she instead drifts over it like a kite on a very short string. Her mouth does not move when she speaks, only the wind carries her words to you.

Influence: You must always seek the high ground in battle and may not use any effect that manipulates or destroys earth or stone (such as move earth, wall of stone, or disintegrate.)

Granted Abilities: Fujiko grants her binders the gifts of the unbound winds, and the mobility to join them.

Leap of the Clouds: The binder gains a +10 bonus on jump checks. You are considered to have a running start and may exceed your normal maximum height and distance. The bonus increases by 10 at levels 10, 15, and 20.

Sheltering Winds: Ranged attacks (except rays) have a miss chance against the binder equal to 5% times your EBL. Additionally, the binder cannot be tracked or detected by scent. You must show Fukijo’s sign while this ability is active.

Knife Wind: As per the spell gust of wind except that you may choose to have it also deal slashing damage equal to d4 per your EBL. You must wait 5 rounds to use this ability again. (EDIT: Unless and until I find an errata stating what the actual range is for gust of wind, use medium: 100ft + 10ft per EBL)

Walk of the Spirits: The binder adds her EBL as a bonus on all Balance checks. More impressively, the binder can walk on the surface of any material into which she would normally sink, such as powdery snow, thin ice, and even water. She may continue to walk on this surface as long as she makes a DC 15 Balance check. Normally, the balance check for this activity is a standard action, so a binder may make one move action per round while using this ability. If she makes a DC 30 balance check, she may use this ability as a move action instead, allowing her to use it and still take one standard action in a round. She does not trigger traps that use pressure plates while using Walk of the Spirits, nor is her speed impacted by deep snow. At level 14, she may use Walk of the Spirits as a swift action.

Flowing Curtain Stride: The binder falls at a speed of no more than 60ft per round and thus takes no damage from falling any distance (as per featherfall). Additionally, she may move horizontally 5ft for every 10ft she falls. You must be showing Fujiko's sign to use this ability.

Myung, the Bright Sohei

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Level: 3

Binding DC: 20

Manifestation: A male in Banded Mail armor appears to march rigidly into the center of the seal. After arriving, he turns and bows to the binder, which initiates the pact making

Influence: At first glance, you appear pompous and rude, raising your nose to most onlookers. However, you are required to defend others at a moment's notice (such as putting yourself in harm's way to block enemies from reaching your allies).

Sign: Years of being imprisoned have altered the eyes of Myung, who always had bright blue eyes. If you are bound to him, your eyes appear without pupils.

Legend: Once, long ago, a powerful and evil Black Mage attacked a small fief in Sunshan. As many were not used to his sort of spellcasting, the fief was almost vanquished if not for the efforts of Myung. With his fortitude and undying strength, by the time the Black Mage managed to imprison him in the earth, he had used up most of his power and was finished off soon after by Myung's fellow soldiers. The people of his country and fief were not able to rescue him. To this day, he remains imprisoned.

Granted Abilities:

Weapon Familiarity: You gain Martial Weapon Proficiency in Short Sword, Bastard Sword, and Glaive. In addition, you gain Weapon Focus while wielding one of these weapons.

Improved Trip: You gain and can use the Improved Trip feat, even if you do not have the prerequisites.

Battle Fortitude: You become one with Myung's undying strength. You gain the Diehard feat, and gain a +4 competence bonus against death spells, magical death effects, energy drain, and negative levels.

Ki Frenzy: A binder bound to Myung gains the ability to focus her ki power into a frenzy of berserk energy. In this frenzied state, she temporarily gains +2 to Strength and +2 to Dexterity. Her speed increases by 10 feet, and she can choose to make a flurry of blows with a full attack action in melee, making one extra attack per round while suffering a –2 penalty on every attack. While in a ki frenzy, you cannot use skills or abilities that require patience or concentration, such as moving silently or casting spells. She can use any feat she might have except for item creation feats and metamagic feats. A ki frenzy lasts for a number of rounds equal to three + the binder's Constitution modifier. The binder may prematurely end the frenzy voluntarily. At the end of the frenzy, the binder is fatigued (–2 to Strength, –2 to Dexterity, can’t charge or run) for the duration of that encounter. Entering a frenzy takes no time itself, but the binder can only do it during her action, not in response to somebody else’s action. If you use this effect, you cannot do so for 5 rounds. You can only use this ability once per day for every 3 binder levels you have.

Nathos, Grandmaster Tactician (Help me out with this one's story, please)

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Level: 3

Binding DC: 20

Sign: One of your hands becomes pure white in color, the other hand darkest black.

Legend: The original was incredibly Faerun-specific, so I'm going to change this. It's a WIP.

Special Requirements: Nathos can do nothing to help those who won’t follow orders. If, within the past 24 hours, you have gone against a vestige's influence (even if you made a good pact), Nathos will not answer your call.

Manifestation: The manifestation begins with the sound of heavy boots marching in time. Dust stirs within the seal and rises to the height of a man. When the dust clears, a 1-foot-square book can be seen floating in the air with covers made of metal shields beaten flat and cut to size. Both covers bear faint scars from battle. The front cover is stamped with a red knight in profile with stars for eyes. As you watch, the pages rip out of the book and spin around and around in an unfelt wind. The heavy parchment pages have block letters written upon them, and smaller writing runs down the margins. One by one the pages catch against an unseen man. Soon, the invisible figure is fully defined by the windblown pages. His voice is carried on the wind “Your move”.

Influence: You become cool and calculating. Your sense of self preservation demands that you not take the lead or last position in the marching order (unless there is no one else to fill those positions).

Granted Abilities:

Inexorable Advance: When you successfully drop an opponent with a melee attack, you may immediately move into the square that opponent occupied as a free action (you must have sufficient movement remaining to use this ability.) This movement does not provoke AoO.

Red Knight’s Flank: You must ready your action to use this ability. Whenever an opponent within 15ft of you moves from their space, you may immediately teleport to the space they previously occupied and make a full melee attack against that opponent. Each time you teleport, you use up one of your attacks of opportunity for the round.

Ordained Balance: You may make a single turn of up to 90 degrees as part of a charge.

Unto the Breach: You gain the ability to make a trample attack. As a full-round action, you can move up to twice your speed and literally run over any creature equal to your own size or smaller. You merely have to move over the opponents in your path; any creature whose space is completely covered by your space is subject to the trample attack. If a target’s space is larger than 5 feet, it is considered trampled only if you move over all the squares it occupies. Your trample attack deals 1d8 points of bludgeoning damage (or 1d6 points if you are Small) plus 1-1/2 times your Strength modifier. If you are larger than Medium or smaller than Small, the damage scales up or down accordingly (see page 114 of the Player’s Handbook). Trampled opponents can attempt attacks of opportunity, but these take a –4 penalty. (Opponents whose space is larger than 5 feet and whom you do not trample can also make attacks of opportunity at the same penalty.) An opponent can give up its attack of opportunity and instead attempt a Reflex save to take half damage from your trample. You can deal trampling damage to each target only once per round, no matter how many times your movement takes you over a target creature.

Royal Commission: If you have not acted in the current round and one of your allies uses the charge or withdraw action, you may immediately do the same. Your place in the initiative order changes appropriately.

Thran, Leader of the Hunt

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Level: 3

Binding DC: 20

Sign: You grow horns like those of an Urgal.

Legend: Misbegotten and looked down upon by both sides of his heritage, Thran grew up among the Blackhorn Urgal tribe. Strength was the only rule among the Urgals, so the weaker Thran was forced to the fringes of the camp. He watched the elder druids to see how they maintained their power in the face of the stronger warriors. He saw how they used word, gesture, and implication to inspire fear and then prey on it to their advantage. When the Kull warriors of his tribe forced him into the frontline against other tribes or humans, he used those lessons to great effect. As enemies avoided closing with him, his less skilled allies began to form up around him and eventually fight as a group. His influence grew as he preserved his allies. At the height of his power he commanded legions, but he eventually overestimated his own prowess and fell in single combat with a knight of Soleh.

Manifestation: A pile of weapons appears within the seal. After a few moments, they begin to shake and rattle loudly before suddenly bursting into the air and spiraling like a cyclone within the seal. Within the pile’s center appears the visage of a Urgal warrior crafted of steel, which reaches out with one hand and grabs a weapon from the spinning whirlwind of blades. Images of several smaller Urgals appear in the weapons remaining at Thran’s feet and begin to softly chant his name over and over, thrusting their tiny fists in the air with each repetition. As the chant reaches greater volume, Thran points his weapon (which varies from summoning to summoning – sometimes it is an axe, sometimes a sword, sometimes a spear, sometimes a mace) at the Binder and demands him to lead his forces into battle.

Influence: You have no respect for those who show fear in your presence.

Granted Abilities:

Bigger, Badder, and Meaner: You add your strength and constitution bonuses to your intimidate checks. If you use a full-round action for the intimidate check, you may take 10.

Tiger among the Wolves: When you use the demoralize action in combat, you may target all foes within 10ft. Also, foes successfully demoralized are shaken for a number of rounds equal to your EBL.

Prey upon the Fearful: You gain a +2 competence bonus on melee attack and damage rolls against shaken targets, +4 against frightened foes, or +6 against panicked enemies.

Pack Mentality: Neither you or ally within 10ft of you is considered flanked unless you all are considered flanked, nor are any of you considered surprised unless you all are surprised.

Stand by your Mates: When you aid another in combat (or are the recipient of aid another), the bonus applies to all attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws made that round. At level 10 you may use aid another once per round as a swift action. At level 15 you may simultaneously aid all allies within reach.

Hold your Ground: You and all allies within 30ft gain a +4 bonus to saves against fear and compulsion effects.